Whether it's a stolen Social Security number or credit card, dealing with identity theft is a headache. But a good identity theft protection service will alert you to potential fraud early on and help restore your status if something goes wrong.
The best services include insurance that helps you recoup losses associated with resolving the problem, including legal assistance and missed work.
CNBC Select reviewed more than 30 identity theft protection services to pick the best in a variety of categories. For more on how we made our picks, see our methodology.
Best identity theft protection services
Best for families: Aura
Who's this for? Aura's family plan includes five adults and an unlimited number of children under age 18, with benefits like alert sharing, parental controls and cyberbullying alerts for video games.
Standout benefits: Aura's white-glove fraud resolution team expertly helps resolve issues with identity theft or fraud. Aura also generates email aliases to hide your information and monitors all three credit bureaus.
Aura
Cost
Plans from $10 to $32 per month, billed annually
Standout features
Protects against identity theft, financial fraud, spam calls, online theft, scam websites, viruses and malware. Offers VPN, 3-credit bureau monitoring, password manager and instant credit lock.
Terms apply.
Pros
- Family plan available for up to five adults and an unlimited number of kids
- 14-day free trial
- Discount if you buy an annual plan
- Offers couple and family plans
Cons
- Doesn't monitor social media accounts.Â
- Annual plans can only be cancelled in the first 60 days
Best for dark web scanning: IdentityForce
Who's this for? With IdentityForce, all plans get dark web scanning and at least $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage.
Standout benefits: IdentityForce offers three-bureau credit monitoring, alerts and reports, as well as access to users' VantageScore® 3.0 with the +Credit plans.
IdentityForce®
Cost
UltraSecure Individual: $19.90 per month or $199.90 per year; UltraSecure+Credit Individual: $34.90 per month or $349.90 per year; UltraSecure Family: $24.90 per month or $249.90 per year; UltraSecure+Credit Family: $39.90 per month or $399.90 per year
Credit bureaus monitored
3-bureau credit monitoring, alerts and reports: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion®, with UltraSecure+Credit Individual and UltraSecure+Credit Family plans only
Credit scoring model used
VantageScore® 3.0, with UltraSecure+Credit Individual and UltraSecure+Credit Family plans only
Dark web scan
Yes, with all plans
Identity theft insurance
Yes, at least $1 million with all plans
Terms apply.
Pros
- 3-bureau credit monitoring, alerts and reports
- Free VantageScore® 3.0
- Dark web scanning
- Minimum $1 million identity theft insurance coverage
- Offers family plan
Cons
- Plans start at about $20 per month
- Doesn't look at FICO® Score
Best for combining credit and identity protection: PrivacyGuard
Who's this for? PrivacyGuard offers separate plans for identity and credit protection, or you can combine them with Total Protection plan, which includes free VantageScore reports, three-bureau credit monitoring, dark web scanning, public records and bank account monitoring, $1 million identity theft insurance and more.
Standout benefits: PrivacyGuard offers unique features like a dedicated identity fraud resolution agent, a financial calculator suite, neighborhood reports, emergency travel assistance and medical records reimbursement.
PrivacyGuard®
Cost
$9.99 to $24.99 per month
Identity theft insurance
Up to $1 million for Identity Protection and Total Protection plans; none for Credit Protection plan
Credit monitoring
Total Protection and Credit Protection plans both monitor your Experian, Equifax and TransUnion credit reports; Identity Protection doesn't offer credit monitoring.
Mobile app
Yes
Family plan
No
Terms apply.
Pros
- Option to choose the plan that suits you: Credit Protection, Identity Protection or Total Protection
- New users can try any plan for $1 for the first 14 days
Cons
- No family plan
- No identity theft insurance with Credit Protection plan
- Identity Protection plan doesn't offer triple-bureau credit monitoring
Best for credit monitoring: Experian IdentityWorks
Who's this for? Experian IdentityWorks offers all users access to their FICO® Score 8, the score used by most lenders.
Standout benefits:Â Experian IdentityWorks has a free version and offers a free trial for paid plans. There's three-bureau credit monitoring and all plans get dark web scanning and up to $1 million identity theft insurance coverage.
Experian IdentityWorksâ„
Cost
Basic: Free, Premium: $24.99 per month, Family: $34.99 per month (7-day free trial with paid plans)
Credit bureaus monitored
Basic plan monitors Experian and FICO score and scans dark web. Premium plan comes with three-bureau (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) credit monitoring and alerts and social media reports. Family plan adds two adults and up to 10 children.
Credit scoring model used
FICO® Score 8 with all plans
Dark web scan
With all plans
Identity theft insurance
Up to $1 million with paid plans
Terms apply.
Pros
- Free version available and free trial with paid plans
- 3-bureau credit monitoring, alerts and reports
- Free FICO® Score 8
- Dark web scanning
- Up to $1 million identity theft insurance coverage
Cons
- Advanced features cost extra
- Free version is very basic
*Identity Theft Insurance underwritten by insurance company subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. (AIG). The description herein is a summary and intended for informational purposes only and does not include all terms, conditions and exclusions of the policies described. Please refer to the actual policies for terms, conditions, and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions.
Best for identity theft insurance: Identity Guard
Who's this for? Identity Guard plans include $1 million in identity theft insurance.
Standout benefits: Identity Guard offers data breach notifications and monitoring of high-risk transactions, bank accounts, social media and more. Certain plans also get three-bureau credit monitoring and monthly credit scores.
Identity Guard
Cost
From $7.50 to $25.00 per month, billed annually on individual plans and $12.50 to $33.33 per month, billed annually on family plans
Identity theft insurance
Up to $1 million in insurance for eligible losses from identity theft
Credit monitoring
The Total and Ultra plans monitor your Experian, Equifax and TransUnion credit reports; the Value plan doesn't offer credit monitoring.
Mobile app
Yes
Family plan
Yes
Terms apply.
Pros
- Option to choose from three plans: Value, Total and Ultra
- All plans provide identity theft insurance up to $1 million
- Variety of privacy tools that help reduce telemarketing calls, junk mail and more (free with annual plans)
Cons
- No credit monitoring with Value plan
Best for protecting devices: LifeLock
Who's this for? LifeLock offers protection across various devices, including PCs, Macs, tablets and phones.
Standout benefits: LifeLock offers phone takeover monitoring, buy now pay later alerts, 401(k) and investment account activity alerts, social media monitoring and more.
LifeLockâ„¢
Cost
$8.29 to $34.99 per month
Identity theft insurance
Up to $1 million for lawyers and experts; up to $25,000 to $1 million each for stolen funds reimbursement and personal expense compensation
Credit monitoring
The Ultimate Plus plan monitors your Experian, Equifax and TransUnion credit reports; The Standard and Advantage plans monitor Equifax or TransUnion.
Mobile app
Yes
Family plan
Yes
Terms apply.
Pros
- Choose between Standard, Advantage and Ultimate Plus plans
- All plans provide identity theft insurance
- Norton 360 software is integrated into some plans, offering protection against viruses, spyware, malware and other online threats for up to 5 PCs, Macs and Android devices
Cons
- You receive less identity theft insurance coverage with a Standard plan
- Standard plan lacks some alerts, like bank account and credit card activity
- Standard and Advantage plans only monitor one credit bureau
What do identity theft protection services do?
Identity theft protection services monitor websites and databases for your Social Security number, driver's license, bank account digits and other personal information. If one appears on the dark web or elsewhere, you'll receive an alert.
Different services have unique assets, but most will include:
- Social media
- USPS address change requests
- Court or arrest records
- The dark web
- Orders for new utility, cable, or wireless services
- Payday loan applications
- Check cashing requests
If your identity is compromised, most companies have ID experts, attorneys and others to help restore and rehabilitate it. All of our picks for the best identity theft protection provide optional insurance, one of the best perks of an identity theft protection service.
Keep in mind that identity theft protection services can only alert you to breaches as they happen, not prevent any fraud.
The dark web is a portion of the internet that does not appear on search engines like Google and requires specialized software, like the Tor browser, to access. It offers privacy and there are legitimate uses for this corner of the deep web, but that same anonymity attracts bad actors and scam artists.
What do identity theft protection services include?
Identity theft packages come with numerous options, but most will track your internet activity and credit reports and alert users to fraud. There's usually a suite of tools and experts to help extricate you from the situation and restore your reputation.
Here are some of the more common offerings:
Credit monitoring: All of the programs we chose monitor Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax, the three major credit bureaus, for major changes to your score, a flurry of new accounts and other suspicious activityÂ
Internet monitoring: Depending on the service, you can elect to have social media scanned for references, along with the more nefarious dark web. Some services monitor your online activity, including social media, public records, and dark web forums, for any signs of your personal information being compromised.Â
Fraud alerts: The best ID theft protection companies vet these threats and alert you to the most dangerous ones.
VPN: Some services, like NordProtect and Aura, bundle VPN features in with their packages, enabling you to encrypt your connection, hide your IP address and ensure public wi-fi spaces are still safe.
Password protection: You can finally stop using your old address as a password, as these tools generate strong, unique passwords, use password managers, and enable multi-factor authentication.
Identity restoration: If your identity is compromised, all the companies we named have teams dedicated to restoring your identity with the credit bureaus, any financial institutions and even legal authorities.
Insurance: Beyond legal fees, bank charges and lost savings, the plans we selected also reimburse for lost wages and transportation required while you resolve the issue.
Do identity theft protection services work?
Despite its name, identity theft protection is more about post-exposure than prevention. If you get a fraud alert, for example, that means someone is already trying to commit a crime using your data.
That said, many of the features these programs offer can be extremely helpful — including password protectors, identity theft insurance and alerts about sudden changes to your credit score.
Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.
Plans from $9 to $25 per month, billed annually
Protects against identity theft, financial fraud, spam calls, online theft, scam websites, viruses and malware. Offers VPN, 3-credit bureau monitoring, password manager and instant credit lock.
On Aura's site
From $7.50 to $25.00 per month, billed annually on individual plans and $12.50 to $33.33 per month, billed annually on family plans
Up to $1 million in insurance for eligible losses from identity theft
On Identity Guard's site
How to protect your identity
Beyond reaching out to an ID theft protection provider, there are other steps you can take to safeguard your information:
1. Monitor your credit: Most of us have free access to our credit reports and should routinely review our credit scores, credit card accounts and other files for unexpected transactions, requests for increases or other irregularities. Be sure to dispute errors immediately.
2. Secure your passwords: If you're someone who uses the same password for all your accounts, consider enrolling in an app like LastPass or 1Password, which can generate a unique login.
3. Be wary of unsolicited emails and phone calls: If you don't know the company or sender, that's a red flag — especially if they're calling out of the blue. Look at the URL and make sure it starts with "https" — with the "s" representing "secure."
4. Freeze your credit reports: If you're suspicious that you've been compromised, freeze your credit reports with each of the three credit bureaus. It's a free service.
More on the best identity theft protection services
Aura
Frequently the go-to identity theft protection, Aura has a family plan that covers five adults and an unlimited number of children under age 18. As with most providers, there is a significant savings for buying a year subscription over paying monthly.
Plans: Individual, Couples, Family, Kids
Cost: Individual plan starts at $15 a month, Couple plan starts at $29 a month, Family plan starts at $50 month and Kids plans start at $13. 60-day money-back guarantee for annual plans
Features: VPN generation, antivirus programs, white glove restoration, fraud alerts, Email alias, spam protection, monitoring of all three credit bureaus and the dark web.
Identity theft insurance: At least $1 million with all plans
IdentityForce
Owned by TransUnion, IdentityForce offers identity and credit protection, but it lacks credit bureau monitoring.
Plans: UltraSecure and UltraSecure+Credit
Cost: Individual UltraSecure from $9.90, UltraSecure+Credit from $15.90 a month
Features: Advanced fraud alerts, credit monitoring, mobile app alerts, VPN for mobile, social media monitoring, Social Security number tracking, monitoring for two adults and up to 10 kids, Dark web monitoring, dedicated restoration services and deceased family member fraud remediation.Â
Identity theft insurance: At least $1 million insurance with all plans
PrivacyGuard
PrivacyGuard tackles identity theft and credit monitoring separately, although you can combine the two with the pricier Total Protection plan.
Plans: Identity Protection, Credit Protection, Total Protection
Cost: Identity theft protection from $9.99 per month and credit monitoring from $19.99 monthly. (Total Protection combines both for $24.99). 14-day trial with PrivacyGuard available for $1.
Features: Credit monitoring, ID theft assistance, triple-bureau credit reports, credit card and debit card monitoring, identity fraud resolution, dark web scanning, lost/stolen wallet protection
Identity theft insurance: $1 million
Experian IdentityWorks
Part of Experian, IdentityWorks is one of the few companies to offer a free tier, though it's limited to basic features, like access to your FICO 8 score and Experian. (IdentityWorks does not review TransUnion or Equifax scores.) There is also a free seven-day trial period.
Plans: Basic, Premium, Family
Cost: Basic (free), Premium ($24.99), Family ($34.99 per month)
Features: Identity theft monitoring, identity monitoring for children, fraud alerts and dark web surveillance, freeze credit reports instantly with Experian CreditLock and monthly privacy scans to remove your info from people finder sites.
Identity theft insurance: Up to $1 million with all plans
Identity Guard
Founded in 1996 by engineer Hari Ravichandran, Identity Guard is now owned by Aura and boasts a customer base of 38 million. It utilizes AI to monitor your personal information and social media
Plans: Value, Total and Ultra
Cost: Value plan starts at $7.50, Total starts at $16.67 and Ultra from $25.00 a month
Features: bank account, credit and fraud monitoring, 24/7 access to fraud agents, Dark web scan, password manager, identity monitoring and restoration.Â
Identity theft insurance: $1 million with all plans
LifeLock
Founded in 2005, LifeLock was acquired by antivirus giant Norton in 2017.
Plans: Standard, Ultimate Plus, Ultimate Plus family
Cost: Standard plan starts at $7.50 a month, Best Protection starts at $19.99 a month and Family/Ultimate Plus starts at $33.33 a month for 2 adults and 5 kids.
Features: Three-bureau credit and Social Security number monitoring, 401(k) and investment account alerts, VPN, dark web scan and stolen funds reimbursement
Identity theft insurance: Up to $3 million
Identity theft protection FAQs
What's the difference between Identity theft protection and credit monitoring services?
Identity theft protection services alert you when your personal information is being used in a wide range of fraudulent activities. Credit monitoring services track your credit history and report any notable changes, which might be from your own financial decisions. Many services offer both features — identity theft protection and credit monitoring — to provide holistic coverage.
Can identity theft protection services prevent fraud?
An identity theft protection service won't prevent fraud, but it can help you spot it early. While someone stealing your identity is never ideal, it's even worse if you don't realize it right away. Thankfully, these services can help you notice it quickly and take action before the damage gets worse.
What can't identity theft protection do?
While it can help restore your good name, even the best ID theft prevention program can't prevent your personal information from appearing on the dark web or make it invulnerable to data breaches. Perhaps, more importantly, it can't perfectly shield you from someone trying to access your credit, bank accounts, tax records or personal information. But the right program can minimize your exposure and quickly work to restore your standing.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed financial decisions. Every identity theft protection review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit monitoring products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best identity theft protection services.
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Our methodology
CNBC Select analyzed more than a dozen identity theft protection services to find the best ones. We focused on the following features:
Cost: We gave extra weight to services that had lower base rates or discounts for paying annually.
Variety of services: The more platforms the service checks for breaches to your personal information, the better it scored.
Credit monitoring: We ranked services higher if they monitor your credit reports, especially all three credit bureaus
Family plans: Servives were rated higher if they had options for families, including shared alerts, parental controls and cyberbullying alerts for video games and social media.
Identity theft insurance: We considered whether a company offered to reimburse costs associated with restoring your identity, including legal fees, missed work and more. The best services offer up to $1 million for eligible expenses.
Mobile app: The ability to access services from a smartphone was crucial in determining our list.
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.
Based on that criteria, our picks for the best identity theft protection services are:
Best for families: Aura
Best for dark web scanning: IdentityForce®
Best for combining credit and identity protection: PrivacyGuard®
Best for credit monitoring: Experian IdentityWorksâ„
Best for identity theft insurance: Identity Guard
Best for device protection: LifeLockâ„¢
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